Photo was taken at Virgin's new maintenance shed at Three Bridges c2001

Simon Weller at London Victoria 2003

20th anniversary of the 1984~5 miners strike badge

A NEAR MISS AT LEWES 30th NOVEMBER 2005

The RAIB investigation into the SPAD at Lewes on 30 November 2005 which resulted in a near miss with another train has been undertaken in parallel with an investigation into the SPAD incident at Esher on 25 November 2005 and a general investigation into the causes of adhesion-related station overrun and SPAD incidents during autumn 2005. This report focuses on the results of the investigation into the Lewes incident alone.

I FEEL compelled to write to the Journal about a
notice that has appeared at our depot entitled
‘Victoria Station Concourse’.

We appear to have a recent addition to the
staff team at Victoria who has seen fit to imple-
ment changes, apparently to improve life for our
Customers, in-line with ‘Being Southern’.

The first action was to remove the seats in the
vicinity of the barriers.

Reason? It is not good for the Southern image
to see members of staff smoking, eating or drinking in view of the public.

Apparently, a member of staff was seen with
his/her head buried in a Bucket of K.F.C. It has
been suggested that if they had been consuming
‘Southern Fried Chicken’ this might have been
acceptable!

Recently we received a booklet about fatigue
and solutions to combat its effects as well as discussing the subject at a recent Safety Day.

It states that, when feeling fatigued, it is good
practice to get out of the cab and get a coffee.
Unfortunately the seats have now been removed
and they have failed to provide any where else
suitable.

Removal of the seats has also antagonised travellers who like to sit and wait for their train to
arrive and then be guided to the relevant plat-
form by a member of platform staff, or a member of train crew.

Management talk about us ‘Being Southern’ but want to take us out of public view. Are they
ashamed of us?

If you ask customers to list their priorities on
train travel, I can’t imagine that seeing train
crew having a cup of coffee and a smoke would
be listed!

The notice also mentions ‘the Smoking policy’
which Southern implements.

The smoking policy is inconsistent and ill applied and is briefed out in a confrontational
way. Local managers quite happily smoke in non-smoking parts of building.

Finally, we are told ‘Being Southern’ is about
being customer focused. This may come as a
shock but train crew automatically help passengers if the needs arise. This has been instilled in
them, not by Southern - but by their parents
from an early age.